Ukraine and the World – Against russia’s Aggression. Sanctions in Action

The US Congress has agreed on the final text of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which includes $800 million in military aid to Ukraine over the next two years.

The government of the Netherlands is allocating additional EUR 700 million to support Ukraine in 2026.

Chief Spokesperson for the European Commission Paula Pinho has assured that the legal proposal for a “reparations loan” for Ukraine will withstand potential litigation and meets the requirements of interested parties.

“We (the EU) are working on integrating their (Ukraine’s, Moldova’s) energy systems into our network, financing repairs, and strengthening resilience to aggression,” said Spokesperson for the European Commission Anna-Kaisa Itkonen.

Italy will send emergency energy aid to Ukraine after another russian attack on the country’s civilian infrastructure.

The United Kingdom is expanding the “Atlantic Bastion” program, which aims to strengthen the defense of the state’s underwater infrastructure amid growing threats from the rf.

Given the growing threat of hybrid attacks, especially from russia, Germany’s Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) is seeking to expand its powers and improve information sharing with other security agencies and the armed forces.

President of the Czech Republic Petr Pavel has not ruled out that in the future Europe will respond more harshly to the rf’s provocations and may one day shoot down a russian drone or aircraft.

Lithuania has announced that from January 1, russian-language exams for obtaining a driver’s license will be abolished.

Exports from China to russia in yuan decreased for the eighth consecutive month in November. Supplies to russia fell to 67.71 billion yuan ($9.58 billion) in November, down by 5.1  % from the same month in 2024. In October, exports declined by 22 %.

From January to November, trade between russia and China decreased by 8.7 % year-on-year. Over eleven months, deliveries of goods from China to the rf declined  by 11.9 % to $91.6 billion. At the same time, imports of products from russia to China fell by 5.9 % to $112.07 billion.

The Amsterdam District Court seized the assets of the operator of the Turkish Stream gas pipeline – South Stream Transport (Netherlands), owned by Gazprom.

The average price of Urals crude oil, the main export brand of russian oil producers, decreased to $44.87 per barrel in November. Compared to October, the price of Urals fell by 18  %, or almost $9 per barrel. Compared to the beginning of the year ($67.66 per barrel in January), the price of russian oil decreased by 33 %, or $23 per barrel, and its current levels are the lowest since November 2020.

Amid a labor shortage, the rf’s ministry of economic development and ministry of labor have prepared draft amendments to the Labor Code, proposing to increase the maximum number of overtime hours per year to 240 (currently, the maximum duration of overtime work per employee is limited to four hours for two consecutive days and 120 hours per year).

In russia, the number of crimes related to bribery has increased by a third. Of the 23,400 incidents involving key elements, more than 7,700 cases relate to receiving bribes (+11.6 %), 7,600 ­– to giving bribes (+ 29.2 %), and 2,900 – to mediation (+ 26.3 %).

Starting in 2026, utility tariffs will increase in Tatarstan. From January 1, they will increase by 1.7 % for all regions of the republic, and from October 1, they will increase by up to 18.2 % compared to current rates. Previously, tariffs in russia were already  raised in 2022, with indexation taking place twice – this was the first time in 10 years, which was explained to ordinary russians as necessary to support the work and development of municipal infrastructure. Now russians are outraged that pensions are being increased by only 7.6 %, while housing and utility bills are rising by more than 18 %.

russia’s largest car manufacturer, AvtoVAZ, is showing “truly negative growth” this year, said governor of Samara region Vyacheslav Fedorishchev.

Residents of Kursk region who lost their homes due to the war against Ukraine will lose their monthly payments from the state in the amount of 65,000 rubles. In response to complaints from refugees, Victoria Penkova,  the chief advisor to the governor of Kursk region, has said that men should not have fled, but should have “defended their homes”.

The EU will provide additional EUR 30 million in aid to the belarusian people next year. This will bring the total support since the stolen elections to more than EUR 200 million.

Minister of Internal Affairs of Lithuania Vladislav Kondratovich has proposed considering the possibility of suspending passenger bus service with belarus.

belarus ranks 22nd in the world in terms of the number of prisoners per 100,000 people.